Program on Forests

Background

"PROFOR is a multi-donor partnership housed at the World Bank within the Sustainable Development Network's (SDN) Forests Team. PROFOR is funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom, the European Union, the Finnish Department for International Development Cooperation, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Japanese International Forestry Cooperation Office, the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of the Netherlands, and the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC). The German Government is an in-kind contributor.

Initially established in 1997 at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), PROFOR relocated to the World Bank in 2002. PROFOR's objectives are consistent with those of the World Bank's Forest Strategy and Policy (approved in October 2002), and PROFOR collaborates closely with the Bank in implementing the Strategy, which is built on three pillars: harnessing the potential of forests to reduce poverty; integrating forests in sustainable economic development; and protecting global forest values.

A Management Board comprised of representatives from donor agencies, client countries, international organizations, NGOs and the private sector provides strategic guidance to PROFOR and determines what activities are included in the PROFOR portfolio. The Management Board holds one formal meeting each year, maintaining an active role through correspondence and informal meetings in the interim."